Permit, Variances for Petroleum Bulk Plant Approved

A special land use permit unanimously granted by the Kennesaw City Council Monday night will allow for the construction of a petroleum bulk plant.

Royce Brooks and his two sons, Gary and Greg, owners of A.R. Brooks Enterprises, attended the meeting and laid before the council their plan for the property at 2140 Moon Station Dr. in Kennesaw.

Zoning and Planning Commissioner Darryl Simmons recommended the Council approve the special land use permit, as well as variance requests that would allow for a reduction in the required lot size from 5 acres to 2.27 acres, and reduce the minimum distance to residentially zoned property from 1000 to 400 feet.

The Council approved all requests by a 5-0 vote.

Royce Brooks assured the council that all safety and EPA regulations will be met at the upcoming plant. He also informed them that the facility would have only one underground storage tank.

Two citizens raised concerns about the construction of the plant, the first of them being whether the owners of property within 1000 yards of the plant would be automatically forced to conduct an EPA phase one study if they wished to sell, which could allegedly cost thousands of dollars out of the citizen in question's pocket. The council asserted that an EPA study is usually only conducted if there is a suspected hazard and is not automatic.

Meeting attendee Mickey Gollahon raised concerns about thieves attempting to steal gasoline from the plant and the possibility of spill hazards. Gollahon asked about preventative measures the Brooks family would take to combat these issues.

The Brooks men explained several measures they had taken to fight theft, including lockdown on the gas tanks, security cameras and a fence. Concerning the possibility of spills, Gary Brooks stated that the plant has an emergency shutoff per EPA regulation as well as a 2,000-gallon containment area.

In other news, Mayor Mark Mathews presented three handmade quilts on behalf of local quilters to the Walsh family in honor of their son, , a Kennesaw soldier who was killed in Afghanistan.

The council also approved of the use of suites C and D at 3238 Cherokee St. for Sunday worship services and religious activities with a 4-0 vote (Councilman Jeff Duckett was not present when the vote was cast). The request for a land use permit was made by Clifford Clarke of Redeemed Christian Fellowship.